Young Pioneer Tours
Blog
Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours blog about everything North Korea, and all of our other special off the beaten the track destinations.
Since starting in 2008 we have seen blogging about North Korea and our other great destinations as a great way to engage with our customers and to show the world a slice of life in the great destinations we visit.
Due to the mass amount of great content we create, as well as receive from our Pioneers we have since started our travel lifestyle magazine “The Young Pioneer”.
We’re always looking for contributors to our sites, so feel free to browse through our blogs, and , get in touch if you’d like to write for us.
Check out and subscribe to the YPT Blog and travel magazine
City 40: The Place You Weren’t Supposed to Know Exists
13 January 2017 / by Alistair Riddell
You might be forgiven for thinking that you’d just stumbled on a quiet town in suburban America. Tree-lined streets peppered with skateboarding kids, cool crystal lakes and large open parks make this town just as attractive and middle class as anywhere …
Belarus Visa on Arrival for 80 Countries
10 January 2017 / by YPT Team
As of February 12th 2017, the Belarusian government launched a new visa program that allows citizens of 80 countries to apply for a visa on arrival at Minsk National Airport that’s valid for up to 30 days. Countries allowed Visa on Arrival in Belarus A …
Melbourne to Pyongyang: A North Korean Guide’s Story
8 January 2017 / by Alistair Riddell
Hi! My name’s Matt… I’m originally from Melbourne and one of the guides working in the Beijing office. Like all YPT’ers, I have an inexplicable obsession with all things DPRK, having just finished my degree in International Studies with a focus on DP …
The Intriguing World of North Korean Restaurants
6 January 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
Just around the corner from Bangkok’s neon strips of sleaze, aglow with the famous golden arches and crispy chicken colonels quietly lies one of the more unusual aspects of North Korea’s foreign policy; it’s chain of restaurants. For those who know eve …
Goodbye Fidel, Goodbye 2016
31 December 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
Never up for shameless bandwagoning, here at YPT we’ve been just as shocked as most people at the sheer number of amazing people who have been taken away from us during 2016 – David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, George Michael, and then not only Carrie …
How to blend in with North Koreans – Step by step guide on how to get a North Korean suit
29 December 2016 / by Justin Martell
Whether you consider it a pariah state or simply misunderstood, North Korea is known for going its ‘own way,’ and the Hermit Kingdom’s fashion trends are no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnVwnEUskJk If you are travelling to North Korea, yo …
“A Puzzle Solved” – Anecdotes of Kim Jong Il
20 December 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
A perk to working in North Korean tourism is access to the fascinating literature of the DPRK. Rarely read by foreigners or made available online, we’d like to share some. Here is an unedited excerpt, taken from the book “Anecdotes of Kim Jong Ils Life …
A Taste of Pyongyang
19 December 2016 / by Alistair Riddell
Mealtime in North Korea, like many East Asian countries, is a communal gathering with a shared assortment of dishes. Those who have visited North Korea on a tour have had the experience, sitting around the lunch table, drinking a beer, and discuss …
Traveling to North Korea and the US Sanctions
6 December 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
Working in tourism in North Korea, YPT regularly answers questions about safety and security issues for when we’re visiting the country. The media paints a certain picture of the country and it is understandable that some people have questions about th …
